Latvia

Riga has one of the finest collections of Art Nouveau architecture in the world, mostly built around 1900 when the city was booming. Elaborate faces, flowers and mythical creatures decorate the facades of Alberta iela and the streets around it, and a walk through the district is like stepping into an open-air gallery. The old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a maze of cobbled streets, churches and merchants’ houses, including the rebuilt House of the Blackheads on the town hall square.

Riga’s Central Market, housed in former Zeppelin hangars, is one of the largest in Europe and a great place to see local produce. Beyond the city, the seaside resort of Jūrmala is under an hour away, with long sandy beaches and wooden villas. Our programme includes a Riga city break and a private guided walk, and Riga sits neatly between Tallinn and the Lithuanian cities if you want to see more of the Baltic states.

Food and drink

Latvian cooking is rooted in rye, potatoes, pork and fish. Grey peas with bacon, smoked fish and hearty rye bread are traditional, and pīrādziņi, small bacon-filled buns, make a good snack. Riga Black Balsam, a dark herbal liqueur made since the eighteenth century, is often mixed with blackcurrant juice or added to coffee. The craft beer scene is small but lively.

How to travel

Riga is compact and easy on foot, so a three-night city break with a guided walk is a good fit. If you are planning a Baltic trip, we can connect Riga with Tallinn and Kaunas by private transfer, with stops at castles and national parks on the way.